Gambling

ARTICLES ABOUT GAMBLING BY DATE - PAGE 5

Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford wants a state constitutional amendment that would let voters weigh in on any future changes in gambling. At first blush, the idea sounds democratic, almost virtuous. A closer look, however, shows the proposal for what it is - a copout. The speaker wants lawmakers to place a proposed amendment on the November 2014 ballot that would set in stone any gambling law changes that come out of next year's legislative session. If passed, a statewide referendum would be needed for future changes to the rules or scope.

Undercover agents in Broward and Palm Beach counties infiltrated a major illegal gambling and money-laundering operation as part of a one-year investigation that led to arrest warrants for 12 people, officials said. Among those arrested Thursday was Adam Green, 52, of Boca Raton , who officials identified as the ringleader of the bookmaking, racketeering and money-laundering network. Investigators with the Broward Sheriff's Office released only a few details about the investigation, dubbed "Operation Gotham City," and sealed the arrest warrants because five of the 12 people targeted were still at large Friday evening, officials said.

Palm Beach County may join other South Florida counties angling to change state law to allow Las Vegas-style casino resorts. Florida lawmakers this year are expected to reconsider the debate over allowing casino resorts to spread to South Florida. Palm Beach County has already been pushing for lawmakers to allow slot machines at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The county argues it needs slot machines to stay competitive with pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where slot machines are already allowed.

I am the youngest person in line at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, and among the men, I likely have the most hair. That's because this line is for a Monday-morning slot tournament restricted to those age 55 and older, and I just reached that milestone on July 31. And because there has to be some benefit to aging, here I am in line for my shot at a piece of $3,600 in free slot play. It's my third whack at a plus-55 casino perk, and I take a seat at a nearby machine and push the SPIN button… The question that has gnawed at me since leaving the 39-54 demographic.

Casino gambling is coming to South Florida. There's no way around it - the preponderance of the money is with the pro-gambling forces, and in what passes for democracy here in the Sunshine State, money makes the decisions. It's all over but the political posturing. I love to hear pro-gambling forces use the word, “gaming,” as if we're all sitting around on a farmhouse porch playing dominoes or tiddlywinks, and that there's no downside. In truth, the argument that gambling brings with it prostitution, drugs and other crimes is a hollow one. We already have plenty of that in South Florida, so a mere change in degree may be worth the extra jobs and income it will generate.

For a state that faces decisions that could change the face of Florida, you'd expect that our elected officials would have some idea on whether to expand gambling or stand pat. The Florida Legislature has already spent $400,000 on a study to help bring a comprehensive fix to what is now a hodgepodge of gambling regulations. A state Senate panel is taking that message on the road in public hearings that kicked off this week at Broward College. "What I'm talking about is finding the inconsistencies and ambiguities and clarifying and eliminating those," state Sen. Garrett Richter, the panel's chair, said after the hearing.

Casino advocates refer to the irrational betting of money where the odds are stacked against you as "gaming. " That sounds more respectable than "gambling," and sanitizes to a degree the irresponsible acts of feeding cash into slot machines or placing bets at blackjack tables. For the purposes of this article, however, I will use the word "gambling. " I have done so all my life, and refuse to change because the casinos' public relations departments want me to. Regardless of what one calls the activity, it's here to stay.

In Florida, raising taxes is a cardinal sin, but gambling is supposedly a blessing — especially since the state began pimping it through the Florida Lottery. Republicans have consistently refused to increase taxes in a bad economy, in a good economy, and in a middling economy. They never want Floridians to throw their money away to pay for wasteful government services like paving roads, improving public education, or maintaining air and water quality. That way, they get to keep more of it, so they can spend it productively — on scratch-offs, Fantasy 5, JACKPOT COMBO, and other almost certain losses.

Critics who said a statewide series of gambling hearings would become a dog-and-pony show are correct. Among the props coming to Broward College on Wednesday: a live thoroughbred. PocoChico will come courtesy of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to hammer the point that horse racing better not get shoved aside in Florida's gambling landscape. Others with a stake in the complex issue — pari-mutuels, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, destination casinos, gambling opponents —will also be on hand Wednesday for the first of four such public workshops to take place around the state.

TALLAHASSEE - Lawmakers got their first look Monday at research that says a major expansion of casino gambling in Florida would only have a moderate impact on the state's economy, but generate thousands of jobs for South Florida. The Legislature is taking a comprehensive look at gambling in the state and considering whether to expand the offerings to include "destination" casino resorts like those found in Las Vegas. A draft report from a gambling research group says that it wouldn't move the needle much statewide.